“Humanizing Histories: 7 Short Plays about Resistance,” a festival of 10-minute student-written performance pieces, opens on Wednesday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. and runs through Sunday, Feb. 24 in the Bruce Davis Theater, Montgomery Hall, on the St. Mary’s College of Maryland campus. Ticket prices are $4 for teachers, students, senior citizens, and Arts Alliance members; $6, general admission. To make reservations, email the Theater Box Office at boxoffice@smcm.edu or telephone 240-895-4243.
Produced by the Department of Theater, Film, and Media Studies (TFMS) and supervised by Assistant Professor of Theater Amy Steiger, the 10-minute play festival showcases the work of select student writers and directed by Steiger and students Blake Johnson, Kori Taber, and Rebecca Weber.
The collection of plays included in the festival gets its name, “Humanizing Histories,” from the collaborative pilot course conducted at the College on playwriting and the legacies of slavery and resistance in the United States. Each play, inspired by a different historical artifact, explores how oppression and representation affect relationships, families, and human lives, and considers various ways citizens rise up in the face of injustice.
The plays that make up the festival include “Union” by Allison Claggett, “Hashtagtivism” by Oli Platt, “Heaven Spots” by Cameron Kelley, and “Faith” by Tiye Young, each directed by Steiger; “Silence Too Loud” by Rebecca Weber, directed by Kori Taber; “Speak for Me No More” by Samantha Reed, directed by Rebecca Weber; and “Extended Metaphors for Having Conversations Surrounding Race” by McKenna Johnson, directed by Blake Johnson.
Over the weekend of the festival’s run, on Saturday, Feb. 23, members of the community are invited to attend staged readings of other student-written work, theater workshops, and public discussions free of charge. Visit the TFMS website for more information about the day’s activities (www.smcm.edu/tfms).
“Humanizing Histories: 7 Short Plays about Resistance” performs Feb. 20-23 at 8 p.m. and Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. An informal talk-back with cast, crew, playwrights, and directors follows the opening night performance. Refreshments will be provided. Post-performance discussions take place after subsequent performances as well.
